Hello Klean review: how to master hard water and beat frizzy hair

DRY or blemished skin, and frizzy hair; they’re just some of the unpleasant effects caused by mineral-rich hard water. So, if you’re part of the 60% of the UK that has it pouring from the taps, you might want to say ‘hello’ to Hello Klean.

This shower filter system and beauty brand promises to banish the unsavoury effects of hard water on complexions and tresses.

Recently featured on Dragons’ Den, Hello Klean already has 80,000 customers in the UK, US and Europe thanks to its effective, stylish-looking range.

But would it sort out my straw-like hair and pimple-dotted skin after years of exposure to London water, some of the hardest in the country? I put it to the test for a month to find out. 

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Rating: 4/5

Pros:

• Easy to install
• Affordable compared to built-in water-softening systems
• Stylish looking
• Eco-packaging
• Shampoo, conditioner and body wash all clean well
• Hair looks and feels softener, smother and less straw-like

Cons:

• Fixture style doesn’t look right with all bathroom designs (chrome is best)
• Replacement filters add significant cost over time
• Water pressure changes or waterfall shower height difference may limit use
• Expensive to buy if you don’t have very hard water

Hello Klean review: quick summary

If you live in central, eastern or southern England, chances are you’ve got hard water. In fact, around 60% of the entire population of the UK is thought to live in areas where the H2O running through the taps is rich in minerals such as calcium.

While there’s nothing wrong with hard water for our health, showering and bathing in it day in, day out can wreak havoc on appearance, leaving skin feeling dry, pores clogged and hair looking frizzy. Some people try to combat this with water softening systems, which conventionally can be costly and complex to fit. But Hello Klean provides a more affordable – and stylish – shower-specific alternative that can be installed almost instantly.

I had noticed that, ever since moving to London more than a decade ago, my hair was frizzier and often felt wiry after washing. I was getting the odd pimple on my back too, which had never happened before.

After a month of using the system, which includes a purifying shower head and an overhead shower filter, alongside the range of shower toiletries, my skin felt more hydrated. I was getting compliments on how great my hair looked and my pimples had scaled back too.

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What is Hello Klean?

Hello Klean is a shower ecosystem that reduces minerals, contaminants, chlorine and other impurities in your water, reducing its ‘hardness’ and making it gentler on skin and hair.

The brand’s hero products are its and , both of which are designed to screw into most standard shower fittings. The Shower Filter can be fitted onto rainfall shower heads or electric shower systems, while the Purifying Shower Head is ideal for hand-held shower extensions. The latter is also said to reduce water usage by up to 25% while boosting pressure up to two times.

The kit is complemented by a range of hair and body products specifically designed to battle the effects of hard water. A shampoo, conditioner, body wash and scalp soak all are vegan, cruelty-free and made without sulphates or parabens.

Hello Klean is as keen on ethics as it is on turning out an effective product. Packaging is made from FSC-certified card stock, and bottles for the toiletries range are made from 100% recycled plastic.

First impressions

Right from the off, I liked the look of the Hello Klean range. It was packaged smartly but not excessively, in recyclable FSC-certified card stock. There were clear, simple instructions on how the products worked and how to get started. 

Out of the box, every product in the range looked great too. The cream-hued Purifying Shower Head in particular was very smart; this looked like something I might actually choose to buy, unlike the more functional pieces of filtration kit I’d seen elsewhere online. The standard Shower Filter attachment was slightly less exciting to look at, but still pretty inoffensive.

Both were a total breeze to install too, with zero tools required. In both cases I just had to screw off my existing shower attachment – I have an overhead rainfall shower as well as a separate shower head – and screw on the new filter. Job done!

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Hello Klean Shower filter review

Whether your shower better suits the classic Shower Filter or the Purifying Shower Head, it’s important to note you really only need to buy one as they do the same thing. If you’re like me and have both an overhead rainfall shower and a separate shower head, you could just buy the attachment for whichever one you use most days, or tend to wash your hair with.

I live in an old flat with low water pressure and I use my shower head most of the time as it does a better job of rinsing my thick hair. As soon as I turned on the Purifying Shower Head I noticed that the pressure was amazing, much better than my usual set-up. Hello Klean says this attachment can double existing water pressure and while I’m not sure of the exact numbers, it definitely improved. (Note: the water pressure benefits apparently don’t apply to the standard Shower Filter.)

I still operated my shower as normal through the same mechanics, so there was nothing to get used to there. As long as the shower head was on, it was working its magic. 

In fact, at first, I almost forgot about it as I went about my daily showering ritual. The only thing that would remind me that the cream-and-chrome Hello Klean attachments were there was that they didn’t match the rest of my black shower fittings.

After a couple of weeks of use, though, I noticed something more. Rather than my skin feeling tight straight out of the shower, it felt softer and smoother instead. My hair quality seemed to improve too, which I put down to a combination of the water filtration system and my religious use of Hello Klean shampoo and conditioner (more on that below).

I even had a compliment. A close friend asked what I’d be doing differently with my hair, commenting that it looked shinier, softer and more luxuriant than ever before. If that’s not an endorsement, what is?!

Hello Klean Nourishing Micronutrient Wash review

As well as the signature Hello Klean water filtration system, I tested the brand’s range of skin and hair products.

I liked everything, from the charcoal-and-licorice-infused  (a stunning shade of black!) to the with reishi mushroom and rice protein. But my favourite product of the lot, and the one I would definitely buy again, was the .

First off, it looks like a bit of magic in a bottle. At rest, it’s split into two layers, luminous clear green and milky white. Then with a quick shake, it transforms (‘activates’) into a gorgeous, smooth white foam, a bit like a latte. Containing a blend of matcha green tea, microalgae, provitamin B5 and niacinamide, it is meant to remove hard water residue from your skin while supporting hydration.

After using it – lathering it over my body for 30 seconds before washing it off, as instructed – my skin felt squeaky clean, but also soft and quenched, which a difficult balance to strike. I also liked the gentle aroma and easy-to-use pump.

At £16 per bottle, the Nourishing Micronutrient Wash is far from the cheapest body wash on the market. But with my skin quality improved (even some of those pimples started to fade) it felt like a worthy investment.

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The verdict: does Hello Klean work?

After using it in our shower for a month, we felt like Hello Klean was effective. Our skin felt softer, and our hair seemed glossier.

However, whether to actually buy the product should come down to how hard the water is in your area; some parts of the UK do not have a problem with this, so it helps to always check first using a . 

Even if you do have hard water, you’ll want to think about how much hard water is actually impacting your skin and hair, and whether other cheaper tweaks could be made first, say, the shampoo you use. Remember, even after the initial £65 outlay, you’ll need to spend another £120 each year on replacement filters to keep the system working. And that’s not including the Hello Klean toiletries at £16-£18 each.

But if you find that every time you are in a softer water area, your skin and hair are much improved, you may want to take the plunge – saying ‘goodbye’ to pesky hard water and ‘hello’ to Hello Klean.

Where to buy Hello Klean

All of the Hello Klean products, from the shower filtration hardware to the skin and haircare range, can be found at .

The Shower Filter costs £65 for the initial outlay, as does the Purifying Shower Head. Both are good initially for between 10,000 and 13,000 litres of water purification, which equates to around three to four months of use for a household of two. After that, you need to buy refill cartridges at £40 each that will last around four months.

The website also sells special scalp remedies including an (£12) and (£25), further helping you tackle hard water effects and boost hydration.

If you are like the 3% of customers who find their shower fit is a little bit tight for the conventional filter, you can also purchase a small rotatable for £8.

There are often sales on the website, so it’s worth keeping an eye on before you buy.

Hello Klean alternatives

There aren’t too many products just like Hello Klean on the market. Most of the shower systems you find online are either one-off filter showerheads or complicated water-softening systems that need to be installed throughout your entire home.

Amazon lists a range of alternative shower heads, with one of the highest-rated being the for £29.99. You will also need to buy replacement filters from time to time.

If you aren’t that concerned about hard water but you are interested in trying a showerhead that provides scented water and a dose of vitamin C, you can take a look at . The Handheld Starter Kit costs £95.